Risk stratification of patients with early breast cancer.

Background: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is the standard procedure performed to stage the axillae, and axillary node clearance (ANC) or radiotherapy is the treatment for nodal involvement. The aims of this study were to assess (1) the role of preoperative axillary ultrasonography (US), (2) the number of positive lymph nodes on ANC after either positive SLNB results or preoperative ultrasonographically guided nodal biopsy, and (3) the role of ANC in patients with node-positive breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: All patients with invasive breast cancer and axillary node involvement (but clinically negative nodes on presentation) who underwent ANC between January 2008 and December 2009 were identified, and information regarding clinicopathologic parameters and the nodal yield was collected.

Is mode of presentation of B3 breast core biopsies (screen-detected or symptomatic) a distinguishing factor in the final histopathologic result or risk of diagnosis of malignancy?

Background: The relation between histopathologic subclassification and mode of patient presentation (with a screen-detected vs. symptomatic lesion) with an abnormality in the breast core biopsy classified as having uncertain malignant potential (B3) has not been previously examined. We compared the histopathologic subclassification of these lesions and the frequency of malignancy in screen-detected and symptomatic patient groups.